Utilising a new manufacturing facility, a new AI R&D Centre of Excellence, and a promise to empower and reinvigorate its technology sector, HP KSA is on a mission to transform the future of work in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We speak to Managing Director, Fadle Saad, about this exciting evolution.
HP INVESTING IN THE KINGDOM
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has emerged as an attractive global investment destination with its vast transformation over the years.
From being largely dependent on its bountiful oil revenues to diversifying into alternative sources of income, the country’s economy has flourished to host numerous investment opportunities, led by the unveiling of Saudi Vision 2030.
This new forward-thinking initiative aims to empower the nation during the transition into a structural economy from a previously outdated cyclical one.
The innovative government programme also aims to achieve the goal of increased diversification economically, socially, and culturally, in line with the vision of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Salman, first announced in 2016 by the KSA government.
As a result, KSA is focusing on three key pillars – making the nation a spiritual and cultural hub, attracting foreign investment in regional businesses, and becoming a facilitator of trade between Asia, Africa, and Europe.
Driven by this ambitious initiative, KSA’s technology sector is rapidly growing, with significant investment being harnessed in the realm of digital transformation. As such, the country is aiming to become a regional technology hub and is investing in various growth areas, including artificial intelligence (AI), smart cities, and e-commerce.
Within this burgeoning landscape, HP KSA, the regional strand of global technology titan HP, is continuing to grow its presence and invest in a brighter future for both the company and the nation itself.
In his current role, Fadle Saad, Managing Director of HP KSA, is committed to orchestrating the convergence of technology and business to drive sustainable growth for the nation.
“My introduction to the industry began in Lebanon, where I was majoring in computer and communications engineering, setting me on the path to a technology-based career, an area I was becoming increasingly fond of as I learnt more about this wonderful sector and the potential it holds,” he recalls fondly.
Drawing from a wealth of global experience, his journey from computer engineer to technology leader has taken Saad across a multitude of varying continents and cultures.
“I’m a very commercially minded person, and I’ve tried to commercialise operations and processes in every job that I’ve been a part of so far.”
His now comprehensive experience with the global HP business includes navigating complex markets in the Middle East, Turkey, and East Africa, ensuring constant growth and innovation whilst simultaneously adapting to diverse business landscapes.
“To date, my journey has been very rewarding. I always say HP is not just a company, but an academy where we are all constantly learning,” Saad comments.
“With over 15 years of experience at HP, I have experienced multiple geographies and scopes.”
“To date, my journey has been very rewarding. I always say HP is not just a company, but an academy where we are all constantly learning”
Fadle Saad, Managing Director, HP KSA
EXPANDING INTO SAUDI
During a previous role at HP as Regional Sales Director of the Middle East, Turkey, and East Africa, Saad identified KSA as a key new geographical region for the company to expand into.
HP is significantly expanding its footprint in KSA with a series of crucial investments to boost the kingdom’s technology sector and empower its citizens.
“Now, as Managing Director of HP KSA, my focus is on leading and driving the strategic growth of the company’s operations across the nation. I am responsible for overseeing business development, cultivating key partnerships, and ensuring the delivery of innovative technology solutions to meet the evolving needs of our customers in the kingdom,” Saad says.
“With a strong vision for digital transformation and a dedicated team, I am committed to empowering businesses and individuals in KSA with cutting-edge technology that promotes productivity and drives positive impact,” he adds passionately.
Aligned with Saudi Vision 2030, HP’s initiatives include a new manufacturing facility in the kingdom, a new AI R&D Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Dhahran, and a range of educational programmes to empower the youth and build capacity in the country.
“With a strong vision for digital transformation and a dedicated team, I am committed to empowering businesses and individuals in KSA with cutting-edge technology that promotes productivity and drives positive impact”
Fadle Saad, Managing Director, HP KSA
DEVELOPING EXCELLENCE
The initial stages of Saad’s development plan were to regroup and reinforce HP KSA’s presence within the nation.
A vital step was building a regional headquarters in KSA, which has now been successfully completed, alongside the company’s new CoE, where it has brought together R&D experts from around the world.
“These leading voices from the technology sector are collaborating with local universities and the best young regional talent,” Saad impassions.
“I am so excited about this development as it represents not only a fantastic opportunity for HP, but for KSA as a whole,” he says.
As such, HP KSA aims to comprehensively develop both the economy and the ecosystems in which it operates.
With an emphasis on targeting younger demographics within KSA, the company looks to take advantage of an increasingly receptive and tech-savvy population that has grown up alongside major advances in technology, making them the ideal target audience.
Alongside this, the company’s new Made in Saudi initiative is set to improve customer service, create thousands of jobs by 2027, and drive economic diversification.
Similarly, HP KSA’s investment will undoubtedly enhance the local technology landscape and support the nation’s growing digital prowess.
NEW MANUFACTUING CAPABILITIES
HP KSA’s new game-changing manufacturing facility will enable the company to better serve customers and regional businesses with increased flexibility and reliability.
This represents the first step of a much more aggressive plan to expand and build PCs not only for the country’s consumption but to eventually export from KSA, allowing the company to cover the technology needs of surrounding countries.
“Our newly established CoE in Dhahran will focus on developing AI-driven solutions to enhance business operations and societal advancements,” Saad explains.
“The facility will focus on advancements in areas such as data analysis, robotic process automation, and advanced AI decision-making capabilities.”
One key aim of the CoE is to support KSA companies in optimising processes and gaining a competitive advantage in the market by utilising the latest innovations.
“The Middle East has a readiness to embrace AI, with many countries on the offense trying to adopt new technologies. There is a strong ambition across the region to become one of the leading AI centres of the world,” he furthers.
MADE IN SAUDI
The Made in Saudi investment initiative is set to produce computing devices for the nation’s burgeoning technology sector.
“Over time, we will be expanding our entire portfolio to not only serve the needs across the country, but beyond,” he expands.
This represents a pivotal step in HP KSA’s goals to expand and serve regional businesses with cutting-edge solutions.
The kingdom’s strategic location at the crossroads of Asia, Europe, and Africa provides unmatched access to global markets – enhancing distribution efficiency and solidifying its role as a pivotal hub for technological innovation and international trade.
A FACILITY FOR CHANGE
HP KSA’s state-of-the-art CoE in Dhahran will focus on next-generation solutions.
With a well-developed infrastructure, world-class education institutions, and access to skilled talent, the city provides an ideal base for the company’s AI-driven R&D and innovation efforts.
“Here, the company will focus on developing AI-driven solutions to enhance business efficiency, automation, and decision-making. The new CoE will attract top talent and provide training programmes to upskill the local workforce,” says Saad.
The past two years have seen the number of AI labs and technology centres in KSA grow rapidly with initiatives from global technology vendors, Saudi ICT service providers, and public sector innovators.
This trend mirrors the increasing local demand for knowledge about AI, 5G, the Internet of Things (IoT), edge technologies, and proof of concepts for applying these cutting-edge advancements in both government and industry settings.
As one of the largest computer technology vendors in the region, HP KSA’s new CoE is sure to capture the attention of customers.
By 2027, HP KSA expects its AI and education initiatives to impact millions of students and professionals, helping to foster a highly skilled workforce.
“It’s not about just developing new models – it’s about technology that is specifically designed to address pinpointed problems. This is really where we see the opportunity to make real change.”
One of the areas the centre will address is Arabic large language models (LLMs).
How to use AI and optimise it for the Arabic language is a priority for HP KSA, and this will be incorporated into needs of the kingdom, ranging from healthcare to energy.
EMPOWERING THE YOUTH
To date, HP KSA has built a strong network of government partners and deployed a wide range of high-impact education programmes that support Saudi Vision 2030’s goal of upskilling young people for the jobs of the future.
“This builds on our global initiatives which have already impacted over 600,000 individuals and are projected to benefit over six million students and teachers in KSA by 2027,” prides Saad.
“We see a lot of potential in the kingdom because of its ability to attract talent, its geographical location, and especially the country’s strong ambition to continue to grow,” he unfolds.
HP KSA has also supported the National Gaming and Esports Strategy with the opening of its new HP Gaming Garage Lab at Saudi Electronic University in June 2024.
This was then followed up with online courses attaining micro-degree status from the National eLearning Centre and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology – the only private sector entity to enjoy this status.
The programme will continue to grow throughout the region and team up with several key partners including the Human Resources Development Fund, the leading arm of the KSA government to upskill youth and the unemployed, and Savvy Games Group, established by the Public Investment’s Fund to foster the growth of the gaming industry in KSA.
Also included is Tuwaiq Academy, a subsidiary of the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones, to offer education programmes in advanced technologies.
“As the world pivots towards an innovation-centric future, KSA’s transformational potential places it at the forefront of such considerable growth,” Saad details.
“By proactively laying out a roadmap for a diversified economy, KSA has become a gateway for non-oil ventures and global investors to find their roots for success in the region,” he finishes.
HP KSA PARTNERS
